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ATLANTA — The target in-service dates for Georgia Power’s Vogtle 3 and 4 nuclear expansion project near Waynesboro remain unchanged at November 2021 for Unit 3 and November 2022 for Unit 4, the company announced in its most recent project update filed with the Georgia Public Service Commission.

The company also said it expects the project will remain within the current cost forecast.

Georgia Power has filed its combined 20th and 21st Vogtle construction monitoring reports for the period July 1, 2018 through June 30 with the PSC. Significant progress continues to be made at the construction site, with the project now approximately 79 percent complete.

Officials said the project met all major milestones in 2018, and all first- and second-quarter major milestones for this year. Recently, the site completed a major step in the integrated flush process by successfully testing a portion of the spent fuel pool cooling system, a key safety component for Vogtle Unit 3.

In addition, the company ordered the first nuclear fuel load for the unit, the first nuclear fuel order to be placed in more than 30 years for a newly-designed reactor in the U.S., marking a major milestone in the project’s transition to operations.

♦ Completion of Unit 3 initial energization and the start of the integrated flush process for Unit 3;

♦ Placement of both accumulator tanks, both steam generators and the pressurizer inside Unit 4 containment;

♦ Setting the second ring of the Unit 4 containment vessel.

The project work force has about 8,000 workers on site.

With more than 800 permanent jobs available once the units begin operating, Vogtle 3 and 4 is currently the largest jobs-producing construction project in the state of Georgia, officials with Georgia Power said.

The company files construction monitoring reports to provide the PSC a detailed update on progress. The process includes public hearings held at the PSC, as well as reports filed by the PSC staff’s independent construction monitor.

Georgia Power has released a new video of the nuclear unit construction. From the removal of four million cubic yards of soil, to historic module and concrete placements, the video includes milestones throughout the project’s history. Once completed, the units will generate enough electricity to power approximately 500,000 homes and businesses.

Georgia Power is the largest electric subsidiary of Southern Company, and serves 2.6 million customers in all but four of Georgia’s 159 counties.